~ ~ WANDERING IN A RUNNING WORLD ~~

Day: March 10, 2017

As the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships get under way in College Station, Texas (watch ESPN3 6:30-10pm Eastern Friday) and the New Balance National Indoors are contested at the New York Armory through Sunday, I thought I’d extend the conversation I began earlier this week.

On Tuesday I suggested that track & field build on the marketing momentum generated by the NFL’s Scouting Combine by challenging track and field athletes in the same Combine events – 40 yard dash, vertical jump, and standing broad jump – to show how our sport’s talent stacks up against America’s most popular sport – PIGGY BACKING ON THE NFL COMBINE.

In 2015 UConn corner-back Byron Jones set a broad jump world record at NFL combine at 12′ 3″

Today, I want to amplify on that suggestion by encouraging track to include mimicking the way America’s pro sports break down their games for their fans. In that sense, let’s begin by deconstructing our events into their component parts by taking splits in the 100 meter dash and other shorter speed races, as well.

Consider, we split the bejezus out of the marathon to make it palatable, every mile, every 5K. We give the 400m split on the 800, all four 400s in the mile, etc. If the sport is going to be about clocking speed, then break it down into its component parts with some secondary and even tertiary level granulars to identify the basic elements that lead to these remarkable performances. Continue reading →